I chose this novel by E.L Doctorow thinking it would be a soft sci-fi story that deals with the issues related to the atomic bomb through the eyes of children. I was imagining something similar to the story “That Only a Mother” (Merril 1948), that I really enjoyed from the beginning of the semester. All of the reviews stated that it was a resonating book that would leave me “dazed and drained” (Chicago News). I am more interested in the softer sci fi stories we have read, and have especially liked those that critiqued the government or the country’s actions in some way so I was very excited to read this.

While I did very much enjoy the book, it didn’t contain really any elements of sci fi that we have encountered so far. I don’t think if I were to categorize this book I would put it in the sci fi genre at all. Though it’s not technically sci fi, The Book of Daniel does examine several of the same topics we have been discussing in regard to the short stories we have read.

The story follows Daniel, the son of two communists living in Brooklyn in the 1950s who were arrested and executed for espionage. They were (falsely?) accused of leaking secrets regarding the atomic bomb, leaving Daniel and his sister Susan to foster homes. The story has a non-traditional narrative that includes many time shifts, POV shifts (third person “Daniel” to first person “I” in the same sentences…very confusing), letters, news reports, and biblical passages. His parents’ story is told simultaneously as the story of Daniel’s present (1967), where he is in graduate school at Columbia with a wife and a young child.

Daniel models his own political views after his parents’ as he reveals his socialist/communist leanings. His disdain toward the government in the late 60s is evident (and understandable) after the death of his parents. The novel explores this impact through his storytelling but also through his sister’s life which is riddled with mental hospital visits and eventually ends with suicide. If anything, the book relates to sci fi stories we have read in the sense that it provides a historical critique of overbearing government actions through the lens of those indirectly impacted by it.

The story is very dark, and I would recommend it to people with that caveat in mind. There are several sexually explicit, violent, and triggering parts mixed with sometimes quite boring history of the communist party. I found it was a bit slow at times, but the narration style was super unique and kept me intrigued. It is said to be loosely based on the Rosenberg’s, a couple from the 50s who were arrested for spying for the Soviet Union. If anyone’s interested in this historical moment being told from a fictional (but not so science fictional) point of view, I would definitely recommend The Book of Daniel.

Full Citation: Doctorow, E. L., 1931-2015. 1971. The Book of Daniel. New York: Random House.